JP2017185646A - Printer and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a more user-friendly printer by effectively utilizing limited electric power of a battery.SOLUTION: A printer includes a printing part, a conveyance part, a peeling part, a storage battery, a mode detection part and a control part. The printing part performs printing on a label attached to a belt-like mount. The conveyance part conveys a label. The peeling part is disposed at a downstream side of the printing part in a label conveyance direction, and peels the label from the mount by conveying force of the conveyance part. The storage battery supplies electric power to the conveyance part and the printing part. The mode detection part detects one currently set printing mode from a plurality of printing modes including a peeling mode for peeling the label printed by the printing part from the mount by the peeling part and issuing the label and a normal mode for issuing the label printed by the printing part while the label is being attached to the mount. The control part controls so as to make a printing speed of the labels in the normal mode faster than a printing speed of the labels in the peeling mode on the basis of the printing mode detected by the mode detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a printer and a printing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, some printers that issue receipts and labels are mainly configured to be used in a portable manner. Such a portable printer operates with power supplied from a storage battery (battery).

  Some printers that print on a label accept a selection of a print mode. Options for the printing mode are, for example, a peeling mode and a continuous mode. The continuous mode is a printing mode in which printing and issuance (continuous issuance) is performed with the label still attached to the mount. The peeling mode is a printing mode for issuing (peeling issuance) while peeling the printed label from the mount.

  The above-described printer uses, for example, a torque generated by a motor as a force for peeling the label from the mount. The motor generates torque according to the amount of current applied. The torque is not necessary in the continuous mode.

  However, in the conventional printer, the value of the current flowing through the motor is set in accordance with the separation issue. For this reason, in the continuous mode, the limited electric power of the battery is consumed for generating torque that is essentially unnecessary, which is not preferable.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer and a printing method that are more convenient to use by effectively using the limited power of the battery.

  The printer of the embodiment includes a printing unit, a conveyance unit, a peeling unit, a storage battery, a mode detection unit, and a control unit. The printing unit prints on a label affixed to a belt-like mount. A conveyance part conveys a label. The peeling unit is provided on the downstream side in the label conveyance direction from the printing unit, and peels the label from the mount by the conveyance force of the conveyance unit. The storage battery supplies power to the transport unit and the printing unit. The mode detection unit issues the peeling mode in which the label printed by the printing unit is peeled off from the mount by the peeling unit, and issues the label printed by the printing unit while being attached to the mount. One print mode currently set is detected from a plurality of print modes including the normal mode. The control unit controls the printing speed of the label in the normal mode to be faster than the printing speed of the label in the peeling mode based on the printing mode detected by the mode detection unit.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a printer according to the embodiment. FIG. 2A is a side view of the appearance of the printer with the lid portion opened. FIG. 2B is a side view of the appearance of the printer with the lid portion closed. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing electrical connection of electrical components. FIGS. 4A and 4B are diagrams schematically illustrating the structure of the printing unit and the conveyance unit, in which FIG. 4A shows the configuration in the continuous mode and FIG. 4B shows the configuration in the peeling mode. FIG. 5A is a side view illustrating a structure of the roller support portion and a folded state. FIG. 5B is a side view illustrating the structure of the roller support portion and the extended state. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the roller support portion. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the control unit. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the control unit.

  Embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of a printer 100 according to the present embodiment. The printer 100 includes a housing 110 and incorporates various components in the housing 110.

  The housing 110 is divided into a main body part 111 and a lid part 112. FIG. 2A is a side view illustrating the appearance of the printer 100 with the lid 112 opened, and FIG. 2B is a side view illustrating the appearance of the printer 100 with the lid 112 closed. The main body 111 is a container having an opening that is opened and closed by the lid 112. The lid portion 112 is pivotally attached to the main body portion 111 and opens and closes the opening of the main body portion 111 according to the rotation.

  The main body 111 includes a storage unit 113 that stores a print target. The print target handled by the printer 100 according to the present embodiment is in a band shape, and the storage unit 113 stores the print target in a wound state.

  Specific examples of the printing object include receipt paper, label, and label without mount. Receipt paper is a strip-shaped paper that is cut after printing to become a receipt. The label is provided with an adhesive layer on the back side of the printing surface, and is attached to a belt-like mount. The label without a mount is a label in which an adhesive layer is provided on the back side of a belt-like paper.

  In the present embodiment, any print target will be described on the assumption that a thermal coloring layer is provided on the print surface. In the present embodiment, power supply setting according to the print mode when the print target is a label attached to the mount will be described. The printer 100 has a plurality of print modes, and is switched (set) to one of the print modes in accordance with a user operation. The printing mode includes a continuous mode (normal mode) and a peeling mode described later.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing electrical connection of electrical components. The printer 100 further includes an operation unit 120, a display unit 130, a printing unit 140, a conveyance unit 150, a mode detection sensor 161, a paper detection sensor 162, a communication I / F (interface) 171, a battery (storage battery) 181, and a CPU (Central A processing unit (201), a read only memory (ROM) 202, a random access memory (RAM) 203, and a flash memory (Flash memory) 204 are provided. The battery 181 supplies (power feeds) power for operation to each of the above-described units.

  The ROM 202 stores various programs executed by the CPU 201. The RAM 203 stores variable data in a rewritable manner and is used as a work area. The CPU 201 expands a program stored in the ROM 202 to the RAM 203 and executes various arithmetic processes, thereby functioning as various modules and comprehensively controlling each unit of the printer 100. The flash memory 204 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory that stores various settings.

  The operation unit 120 accepts various operations from the user via various keys 121 (external appearance not shown) provided on the surface of the housing 110 and transmits the operation contents to the CPU 201. The display unit 130 transmits various information such as an operation status to the user via various LEDs 131 (external appearance not shown) provided on the surface of the housing 110 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 201.

  The printing unit 140 performs printing on a print target with the thermal head 141 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 201. The thermal head 141 includes a plurality of heating elements arranged in the width direction of the print target (a direction parallel to the print surface and perpendicular to the transport direction of the target). The thermal head 141 is provided in the main body 111. In the thermal head 141, an upper limit value of the number of simultaneously energized elements (that is, the number of heat generating elements that can be energized simultaneously) is determined according to the amount of current supplied from the battery 181 per unit time. In order to correspond to the upper limit value, the thermal head 141 divides (lines) one line for printing according to the amount of current. The number of time divisions is, for example, about 1 to 4 (time division number = 1, that is, no division).

  FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing the structure of the printing unit 140 and the conveyance unit 150. The conveyance unit 150 conveys a print target according to a control signal from the CPU 201. The conveyance unit 150 includes a platen roller 151, a motor 152 (see FIG. 3), a peeling table 153, a peeling roller 154, and a roller support unit 155 (see FIG. 5-2 and the like). By cooperating these units, the transport unit 150 realizes a peeling function. That is, the conveyance part 150 has a peeling function and functions as a peeling part.

  The platen roller 151 is provided in the vicinity of the end portion far from the rotation axis of the lid portion 112. Here, the thermal head 141 is provided at a position where the lid 112 is in pressure contact with the platen roller 151 in a state where the lid 112 is positioned at a position where the opening of the main body 111 is closed.

  The platen roller 151 presses the print object against the thermal head 141 and conveys the print object sandwiched between the platen roller 151 and the thermal head 141 by rotating. The conveyance unit 150 drives the motor 152 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 201. The motor 152 generates torque that rotates the platen roller 151. The torque generated by the motor 152 depends on the value of the current flowing through the motor 152 by the power supply from the battery 181.

  Here, FIG. 4A shows the configuration in the continuous mode, and FIG. 4B shows the configuration in the peeling mode. The continuous mode is a printing mode in which printing and issuance (continuous issuance) is continuously performed with the label X1 still attached to the mount X0. The peeling mode is a printing mode for issuing (peeling issuance) while peeling the label X1 after printing from the mount X0. The printer 100 according to the present embodiment has the two print modes described above.

  The peeling table 153 is provided in the vicinity of the issuing port of the label X1, has a surface for guiding the back surface of the mount X0 in issuing the peeling, and the surface is bent at an acute angle. The peeling table 153 rapidly changes the transport direction of the mount X0 according to its shape, and guides the mount X0 in the direction in which the mount X0 is peeled off from the label X1.

  The peeling roller 154 presses the back surface of the board (hereinafter referred to as “post-peeling board X2” for convenience of explanation) to the platen roller 151 after being bent by the peeling table 153 when issuing the peeling. That is, the post-peeling mount X2 is sandwiched between the platen roller 151 and the peeling roller 154 on the downstream side in the board transport direction with respect to the peeling stand 153. By receiving torque from the platen roller 151 in the sandwiched portion, the post-peeling mount X2 is conveyed in a direction away from the adhesive layer of the label X1.

  FIG. 5A is a side view illustrating the structure of the roller support portion 155 and the folded state. FIG. 5B is a side view showing the structure of the roller support portion 155 and the extended state. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an appearance of the roller support portion.

  The roller support portion 155 rotatably supports each end portion of the peeling roller 154. As illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the roller support portion 155 is configured in an arm shape and can be folded at a portion corresponding to an elbow.

  More specifically, the roller support portion 155 includes a first member 156, a second member 157, a torsion spring 158, and a lock hook 159. One end 156a of the first member 156 and one end 157a of the second member 157 are connected to each other so as to be rotatable.

  The main body 111 supports the other end 156b of the first member 156 in a rotatable manner. Further, a torsion spring 158 is provided at the support position, and the torsion spring 158 urges the first member 156 in one rotation direction (indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 5A) with respect to the main body 111. The biasing direction is a direction in which the roller support portion 155 is extended.

  The peeling roller 154 is rotatably connected to the other end 157b of the second member 157. The second member 157 has a guided convex portion 157c at a position close to the end portion 157a. The guided convex portion 157c is fitted into a guide groove 111c formed in the main body 111, and is movable in the guide groove 111c.

  The guide groove 111c is provided with its longitudinal direction in a direction generally along the upper surface of the housing 110. The guide groove 111c restricts the moving direction of the guided convex portion 157c in the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. Thereby, the second member 157 is movable in the arrow B direction.

  The end portion of the guide groove 111c, that is, the portion to which the guided convex portion 157c reaches when the roller support portion 155 is extended from the folded state has a shape that expands vertically. In addition, the guided convex portion 157c is formed to have a flat vertical side shape. As a result, the second member 157 can rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 5-2 when the guided convex portion 157c reaches the terminal end of the guide groove 111c.

  The lock hook 159 can freely enter and exit in the direction indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 6 by the bias of a built-in string spring (not shown). As shown in FIG. 5A, the lock hook 159 is caught by an engagement recess (not shown) provided in the main body 111 in a state where the roller support 155 is folded. Thereby, the lock hook 159 keeps the roller support portion 155 in the state of being housed in the main body 111 against the urging force of the torsion spring 158. The printer 100 includes a lever (not shown) that releases the catch between the lock hook 159 and the engagement recess.

  Here, the roller support portion 155 shown in FIGS. 2-1 and 2-2 is in the same state as the roller support portion 155 shown in FIG. 5-2. FIG. 2A shows a state in which the user opens the lid 112 and pulls out the roller support 155 from the main body 111. From this state, when the user closes the cover 112 (see FIG. 2-2) and further rotates the roller support 155 in the direction indicated by the arrow E, the printer 100 is in the peeling mode (FIG. 4B). Reference).

  The mode detection sensor 161 is a sensor for detecting that the roller support portion 155 is in a state suitable for the peeling mode. The mode detection sensor 161 is, for example, an optical sensor or a mechanical switch, and detects the position of the peeling roller 154. The mode detection sensor 161 outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the CPU 201.

  The paper detection sensor 162 is a sensor for measuring the print timing. The paper detection sensor 162 is, for example, a transmissive or reflective optical sensor, and detects a mark written in black on the label X1 or the mount X0, for example. The paper detection sensor 162 outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the CPU 201.

  A communication I / F (interface) 171 performs data communication with a portable terminal device that is an external device of the printer 100 in accordance with a control signal from the CPU 201, and receives print data, for example.

  CPU201, ROM202, and RAM203 comprise the control part 210 shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the control unit 210. The control unit 210 includes a mode selection unit (mode detection unit) 211 and a power supply control unit 212. The control unit 210 comprehensively controls each unit of the printer 100.

  The mode selection unit 211 accepts selection of any print mode. More specifically, the mode selection unit 211 determines from the output of the mode detection sensor 161 whether the printing mode of the printer 100 is the continuous mode or the peeling mode. In other words, the mode selection unit 211 detects the currently set print mode.

  The power supply control unit 212 controls the amount of power supplied from the battery 181 to the thermal head 141 and the motor 152 in accordance with which print mode is determined by the mode selection unit 211. By changing the power amount, the amount of current supplied to the thermal head 141 and the motor 152 is changed.

  The power supply control unit 212 controls the control unit 210 so that the label printing speed in the continuous mode is faster than the label printing speed in the peeling mode. This control will be described in detail later.

  In each print mode, the amount of current supplied from the battery 181 to the motor 152 is determined, and the value varies depending on the print mode. The motor 152 generates a torque corresponding to the amount of current supplied. The amount of current that can be supplied by the battery 181 is limited, and if the current for the motor 152 is secured, the amount of current that can be supplied to the thermal head 141 is naturally determined.

  If the current for the motor 152 is increased to obtain a large torque, the amount of current that can be supplied to the thermal head 141 is reduced. On the contrary, if the current flowing through the motor 152 is suppressed in a scene that does not require much torque, the amount of current that can be supplied to the thermal head 141 increases. As the amount of current that can be supplied to the thermal head 141 increases, the number of heat generating elements that can be energized at the same time increases, so the number of time divisions of the thermal head 141 can be reduced, and as a result, printing can be completed quickly. . That is, the printing speed is increased.

  The two printing modes have different priority between the printing speed by the printing unit and the conveying force of the conveying unit. The continuous mode gives priority to the printing speed, and the peeling mode gives priority to the conveying force (torque). That is, priority is given to power supply to the thermal head 141 in the continuous mode, and power supply to the motor 152 is given priority in the peeling mode. In each print mode, various set values are determined according to the priority.

When the label X1 is printed, the upper limit value Ih of the current that can be consumed by the thermal head 141 is the upper limit value Ib of the current that the battery can output, the current value Im that the motor 152 consumes, and the current value that is consumed by other circuits. From Io, it is computable with the following formula | equation (1).
Ih = Ib−Im−Io ………………………… Formula (1)

  The above contents will be described more specifically. In the peeling mode (see FIG. 4B), the peeling roller 154 is in pressure contact with the platen roller 151. Accordingly, the platen roller 151 is less likely to rotate than in the continuous mode (see FIG. 4A). Therefore, the platen roller 151 requires a larger torque, and thus the motor 152 requires more current.

  In the peeling mode, the printer 100 issues the next label X1 after the user removes the issued label X1. That is, in the peeling mode, even if the label X1 issuance (paper discharge) is intermittent, it is not a big inconvenience, and the time required for printing per label is not as short as the continuous mode.

  On the other hand, in the continuous mode, the printer 100 does not peel off the label X1 from the mount X0, but sequentially prints and issues labels X1 that are still attached to the mount X0. That is, the continuous mode is a printing mode suitable for a case where a reduction in time required for printing per label (an improvement in printing speed) is required. In the continuous mode, since the peeling roller 154 does not contact the platen roller 151, the burden on the motor 152 is lighter than that in the peeling mode.

  From the above, the current value Im of the motor 152 that is necessary for appropriately rotating the platen roller 151 is lower at the time of continuous issuance than at the time of peeling issuance, and the current value Ih that can be consumed by the thermal head 141 is The continuous issue is higher than the release issue.

  Based on the above-described contents, an appropriate value of the amount of current (current value Im) flowing through the motor 152 in each print mode is determined. The flash memory 204 stores the appropriate value as a set value for each print mode.

When the appropriate value of the current value Ix in each print mode is “Ix (print mode)”, the magnitude relationship between the appropriate values is
Im (continuous mode) <Im (peeling mode) ............... (2)
Ih (continuous mode)> Ih (peeling mode) ……………… Formula (3)
It is represented by

Further, the number N of heating elements of the thermal head 141 that can be energized simultaneously is represented by a monotonically increasing function of Ih. Therefore, if the appropriate value for each print mode of the number N of heat generating elements that can be energized at the same time is “N (print mode)”, the magnitude relationship between the appropriate values is
N (continuous mode)> N (peeling mode) ............ Formula (4)
It is represented by

  Based on the above-mentioned content, the appropriate value for each printing mode of the number N of heat generating elements that can be energized simultaneously is determined. The flash memory 204 also stores the appropriate value as a set value for each print mode.

  The power supply control unit 212 controls the amount of current flowing through the thermal head 141 and the motor 152 by controlling the distribution of power supplied from the battery 181. The power supply control unit 212 performs the control according to the set value determined for the print mode selected by the mode selection unit 211.

  In the control, the power supply control unit 212 reads the set value corresponding to the print mode with reference to the flash memory 204. Accordingly, the power supply control unit 212 controls power supply so that a larger amount of current is supplied to the thermal head 141 in the continuous mode and a larger amount of current is supplied to the motor 152 in the separation mode in accordance with the set value corresponding to the current print mode. .

  Hereinafter, the control performed by the control unit 210 will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG. When the control unit 210 receives print data from the external device via the communication I / F 171 (step S1), the mode selection unit 211 determines whether the printer 100 is in the continuous mode or the peeling mode (step S2). ).

  In step S2, if the separation mode is set (Yes in step S2), the control unit 210 performs power supply control suitable for the separation mode as the power supply control unit 212 based on the setting stored in the flash memory 204. With this control, the torque of the motor 152 is increased and the printing of the printing unit 140 is delayed (step S3).

  In step S2, when the continuous mode is selected (No in step S2), the control unit 210 performs power supply control suitable for the continuous mode as the power supply control unit 212 based on the setting stored in the flash memory 204. By this control, the torque of the motor 152 is reduced and the printing of the printing unit 140 is accelerated (step S4).

  When the power supply control by the power supply control unit 212 is finished, the control unit 210 starts printing and issuing the label X1 (step S5). The controller 210 continues to issue the print until all the print data received in step S1 is printed (No in step S6). Then, when all the print data received in step S1 has been printed, the control unit 210 ends the process (Yes in step S6).

  As described above, according to the printer 100 of the present embodiment, the power that has been excessively supplied to the conventional motor 152 in the continuous mode can be effectively used for the heat generation of the heating elements of the thermal head 141. When a large amount of power is supplied to the thermal head 141, a large number of heating elements can be energized simultaneously. Thereby, the number of time divisions of the thermal head 141 can be reduced and the printing speed can be increased. That is, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the printing speed in continuous issue.

  In the above embodiment, the current amount of the motor 152 is changed depending on whether continuous issuance or peeling issuance. However, implementation is not limited to this operation. In carrying out the peeling, the peeling of the motor 152 may be performed over a long time without increasing the torque of the motor 152. That is, the current amount Im of the motor 152 suitable for continuous issue may be used for the issue of peeling. In this operation, only the current amount Ih of the thermal head 141 is changed according to the change of the print mode. More specifically, the current amount Ih of the thermal head 141 in the continuous mode is increased more than in the peeling mode. According to this operation, the time required for peeling the label X1 from the mount X0 in the peeling mode increases, but a sufficiently high printing speed can be obtained in the continuous mode. Further, according to this operation, power consumption can be suppressed in the peeling mode, so that the holding of the battery 181 (that is, the operating time of the printer 100) can be lengthened.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the issue of the label attached to the mount has been described as an example. However, in the implementation, the above-described embodiment may be applied to power supply control when issuing another print target. For example, power supply from the battery 181 to the printing unit 140 and the conveyance unit 150 may be controlled so as to be suitable for issuing a label without a mount (label mode without a mount). The peeling function of the transport unit 150 described above is not necessary for peeling the label without a mount. The power required for the conveyance unit 150 in the label mode without mount depends on the force (adhesive force) required to peel the adhesive layer of the label without mount from the printing surface.

  Note that the program executed by the printer 100 of the above embodiment is provided by being incorporated in advance in a ROM or the like.

  A program executed by the printer 100 according to the present embodiment is an installable or executable file and is read by a computer such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk). You may comprise so that it may record on a possible recording medium and provide.

  Furthermore, the program executed by the printer 100 of the present embodiment may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network. Further, the program executed by the printer 100 of the present embodiment may be configured to be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

  The program executed by the printer 100 of the present embodiment has a module configuration including the above-described units (mode selection unit, power supply control unit). The CPU (processor) loads the above-described units onto the main storage device by reading and executing the program from the storage medium. Thereby, the mode selection unit and the power supply control unit are generated on the main storage device.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Printer 140 ... Printing part, 141 ... Thermal head 150 ... Conveyance part (peeling part), 151 ... Platen roller, 152 ... Motor 161 ... Mode detection sensor 181 ... Battery (storage battery)
210: Control unit 211 ... Mode selection unit (mode detection unit)
212 ... Power supply control unit

Japanese Patent No. 543050

Claims (5)

A printing section for printing on a label affixed to a belt-like mount;
A transport unit for transporting the label;
A separation unit that is provided downstream of the printing unit in the label conveyance direction, and peels off the label from the mount by the conveyance force of the conveyance unit;
A storage battery for supplying power to the printing unit and the transport unit;
A peeling mode in which the label printed by the printing unit is released from the mount by the peeling unit, and a normal mode in which the label printed by the printing unit is issued while being attached to the mount. A mode detector for detecting one of the currently set print modes from a plurality of print modes,
Based on the printing mode detected by the mode detection unit, a control unit for controlling the printing speed of the label in the normal mode to be faster than the printing speed of the label in the peeling mode;
Printer with. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the power to the printing unit in the normal mode to be larger than the power to the printing unit in the peeling mode. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the control unit changes the number of elements that are simultaneously energized in the printing unit based on electric power to the printing unit. The printer according to claim 2, wherein the control unit makes electric power to the conveyance unit in the normal mode smaller than electric power to the conveyance unit in the peeling mode. A printing unit that prints on a label attached to a belt-like mount, a conveyance unit that conveys the label, and a label conveyance direction downstream of the printing unit, and the label is attached to the label by the conveyance force of the conveyance unit. A printing method executed by a printer comprising: a peeling unit that peels from a mount; and a storage battery that supplies power to the printing unit and the transport unit,
A peeling mode in which the label printed by the printing unit is released from the mount by the peeling unit, and a normal mode in which the label printed by the printing unit is issued while being attached to the mount. One of the currently set print modes is detected from a plurality of print modes including,
A printing method for controlling the printing speed of the label in the normal mode to be higher than the printing speed of the label in the peeling mode based on the detected printing mode.